Textbook Question
Predict what would happen to the tidal volume and inspiratory reserve volume if the phrenic nerves were severed. Which muscles would contract to try to compensate for this?
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Ch. 21 The Respiratory System
Amerman3rd EditionHuman Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780138247201, 9780138247928, 9780138201814
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology24
- Ch. 2 The Chemistry of Life37
- Ch. 3 The Cell54
- Ch. 4 Histology46
- Ch. 5 The Integumentary System30
- Ch. 6 Bones and Bone Tissue36
- Ch. 7 The Skeletal System40
- Ch. 8 Articulations19
- Ch. 9 The Muscular System35
- Ch. 10 Muscle Tissue and Physiology29
- Ch. 11 Introduction to the Nervous System and Nervous Tissue28
- Ch. 12 The Central Nervous System41
- Ch. 13 The Peripheral Nervous System41
- Ch. 14 The Autonomic Nervous System and Homeostasis31
- Ch. 15 The Special Senses39
- Ch. 16 The Endocrine System42
- Ch. 17 The Cardiovascular System I: The Heart28
- Ch. 18 The Cardiovascular System II: The Blood Vessels43
- Ch. 19 Blood32
- Ch. 20 The Lymphatic System and Immunity41
- Ch. 21 The Respiratory System27
- Ch. 22 The Digestive System27
- Ch. 23 Metabolism and Nutrition7
- Ch. 24 The Urinary System39
- Ch. 25 Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Homeostasis39
- Ch. 26 The Reproductive System10
- Ch. 27 Development and Heredity5
Amerman3rd EditionHuman Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780138247201, 9780138247928, 9780138201814Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 21, Problem L3.3
You and a friend are having a contest to see who can hold his or her breath the longest. Your friend hyperventilates before holding his breath, and subsequently wins the contest. Why did hyperventilation give him an advantage?
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the concept of hyperventilation: Hyperventilation is a process where a person breathes rapidly and deeply, expelling more carbon dioxide (CO2) from the body than usual. This reduces the concentration of CO2 in the blood, leading to a temporary state of respiratory alkalosis (increased blood pH).
Recognize the role of CO2 in the urge to breathe: The primary driver for the urge to breathe is the buildup of CO2 in the blood, not the lack of oxygen (O2). As CO2 levels rise, chemoreceptors in the brain and blood vessels signal the respiratory centers to initiate breathing.
Explain the effect of hyperventilation on CO2 levels: By hyperventilating, your friend reduced the baseline level of CO2 in their blood. This means it would take longer for CO2 to accumulate to the threshold level that triggers the urge to breathe.
Connect this to the contest: Since your friend started with lower CO2 levels, they were able to hold their breath longer before reaching the point where the urge to breathe became overwhelming. This gave them an advantage in the contest.
Discuss potential risks: While hyperventilation can temporarily extend breath-holding ability, it can also lead to dizziness, fainting, or reduced oxygen delivery to tissues due to the Bohr effect. This is why it should be done cautiously and not encouraged in unsafe environments.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Hyperventilation
Hyperventilation is a condition where a person breathes at an abnormally rapid rate, leading to a decrease in carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the blood. This can result in respiratory alkalosis, which temporarily increases the blood's pH. By hyperventilating, your friend reduces the urge to breathe, allowing him to hold his breath longer before the body's natural reflex to inhale kicks in.
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6:07
Respiration Example 2
Carbon Dioxide and Breath Control
Carbon dioxide plays a crucial role in regulating the body's urge to breathe. As CO2 levels rise in the blood, it triggers the respiratory center in the brain to initiate breathing. By hyperventilating, your friend lowers his CO2 levels, delaying this urge and enabling him to hold his breath for a more extended period before the body signals the need to breathe.
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Oxygen Deprivation and Tolerance
Holding one's breath leads to a gradual decrease in oxygen levels and an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the body. Individuals can develop varying tolerances to these changes. Your friend's hyperventilation may have allowed him to start with a higher oxygen reserve, giving him a temporary advantage in the contest by prolonging the time before he experiences significant oxygen deprivation.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Explain what would happen to the pressure inside a cylinder if you decreased its volume, according to Boyle's law.
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Textbook Question
Mark the following statements as true or false. If a statement is false, correct it to make a true statement.
The trachea contains O-shaped rings of hyaline cartilage.
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Textbook Question
What happens to the metabolic rate of skeletal muscle tissue during exercise? What waste products are produced from metabolic reactions? How and why does this affect your rate of ventilation during exercise?
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Textbook Question
If you swallow a large bite of food without properly chewing it first, you will feel discomfort during ventilation. Explain this, considering the arrangement of the trachea and the esophagus.
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Textbook Question
Mark the following statements as true or false. If a statement is false, correct it to make a true statement.
Goblet cells secrete serous fluid into the respiratory tract.
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